Waking Up To Her
by NickStone22
Summary: Michelle Suprises Tony. Post Season 2 T/M fluff.


**Author's Notes:** Another pure fluff piece featuring Tony and Michelle.

Please Read and Review.

**Story Type:** Tony and Michelle Fluff

**Setting:** approx 5 months after Day 2

"**24" Characters featured:** Michelle Dessler, Tony Almeida

**Original Characters:** Jean and Taxi Driver

**Acknowledgments: **Thanks to my Beta Reader for proof reading carried out. Thanks to Reiko Aylesworth and Carlos Bernard for giving us such a brilliant TV couple in the first place.

_**Waking Up To Her.**_

Michelle Dessler was headed back to Los Angeles; she had been at the FBI Academy at Quantico Virginia taking part in an inter-agency unarmed combat tournament and training programme. It was late January as the event had started the first week of the New Year and Michelle had been there from the start. She was allowed to be away from work for that length of time as the training events would help develop, improve and maintain those skills which she would need in the field. 

Tony had attended too, but only for the first week. His responsibilities as Director of CTU had over-ridden the training requirements and therefore he had only been allowed to stay for that length of time. 

During those three weeks, members of the FBI, CIA and CTU offices from around the country had met up for their annual competition. There had been many forms of unarmed combat and weapon-less defence; many had been demonstrations and classes as well as matches. 

Michelle had run a course on Close Quarters Weapon-Less Defence which had been for both men and women. Tony had even attended her class and had been amazed at how much he was able to learn from her. Not that he had ever doubted how capable she was, because he never did. In fact, it had always been one of the things that amazed him about her. Nevertheless, seeing her in action teaching a class had totally floored him with amazement. 

By chance Tony and Michelle had ended up pitted against one another in a match during the tournament. Tony had shown Michelle no mercy. Even as protective of her as he was, he knew that they were both professionals and could fight each other with full contact and significant strength and power without injuring each other, although there may be some cuts and bruises. It had been a fairly close fought match. Towards the end however, Michelle had managed to gain the upper-hand. She'd been able to drop her opponent to the ground, and hold him there long enough to be declared the winner. 

Michelle had actually won the mixed gender Close Quarters Unarmed Combat tournament for that year. She was taking home a Gold Medal and trophy for that category. Her martial art of choice was Tae Kwon Do, in the competition for that art; Michelle had won Gold in the Full Contact Heavy Sparring category. Finally she had won Silver for the Grappling category. 

Now she was headed back home, eager to get back, especially as she hadn't seen her sweetheart for two weeks. 

Michelle quickly fished out her cell phone to call Tony. "Hey sweetie" she said softly when he answered. "I'm at O'Hare now, but my connecting flight to LA has been delayed. I'll probably be two hours or so later than I said I would." 

"No worries, sweetheart. I'll be there to pick you up" Tony's voice came over the line. 

"No baby, you go home. It will be two in the morning before I finally get in, and you've had a gruelling day at CTU. You need your rest" Michelle stated. 

"I'll be okay" Tony replied. "I want to be there to pick you up." He was adamant that he be there to meet her and bring her home; it was just in his nature to want to look after her and keep her safe; he loved her so much. 

"Honey, I'll make my own way back" Michelle told him, her tone confident and certain. "I'll be just fine doing that. You really are such a sweetheart to want to come get me. And I promise I'll give you a very special reward for your chivalrous offer when we see each other next" Michelle stated softly, her voice becoming quite seductive when she got to the part about giving him a special reward. 

"I'm not sure, that's a good idea Michelle" Tony replied. "I mean, the next time we see each other will be at the office tomorrow. I think you doing that for me in the middle of the bull-pen would certainly count as 'letting our personal lives interfere with our work.' Seriously, Honey, Ryan would blow a gasket if he found out and that new systems tech that works for Jack, Chloe O'Brian, she'd stand over us scowling and reciting how many protocols we'd be breaking" he finished, causing Michelle to burst out laughing, drawing attention of the people around her. 

"We could always try your office" she giggled.

"Yeah, but they'd hear us" Tony replied. "Well, to be more accurate, they'd hear you. You know what you're like" he elaborated, trying to be serious. 

Michelle couldn't help but blush furiously at that, although he was right. There were times she wondered if most of the tenants on her apartment's floor knew when Tony was staying the night. The same went for his neighbours, when she was staying the night in his place. There was no doubt about it, when Michelle Dessler was "enjoying herself" she really could be quite vocal! 

Michelle felt a little self conscious that everyone around her would know what she was talking about, at the least the nature of her conversation, if not the specifics. However, she was too happy to care all that much if they did.

"Well, it's your fault really Almeida" she quipped back. "It wouldn't be such a problem if you weren't so damn good" she giggled blushing some more. It attracted a variety of reactions from those around her, some smiling knowingly, others shooting her daggers in distaste.

She couldn't help it though; she and Tony loved to tease each other like this. They both had a wicked sense of humour. Ultimately, it was quite healthy; their job wasn't the most stress free. Even when there wasn't a crisis, a day at CTU could be long and draining, so keeping a sense of humour like this was therapeutic. 

"Besides which," she added, "you know you love it, when I get like that." Michelle 

smiled broadly, even though she knew he couldn't see her. 

Yes, this was definitely therapeutic. She'd been feeling stressed and tired from what had already been six hours worth of travelling; starting with the car ride from her hotel in Langley to Dulles, her flight to Chicago, and then making a mad dash from one end of the terminal to another, only to find her connecting flight had been delayed. However, all that stress was now being washed away by joking around with her beloved. 

"You sure you'll be okay?" Tony asked his tone more serious this time. 

"Yes, I'm sure" Michelle replied. "Go home and get some sleep sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow, and after work we have our special evening planned" she finished softly. Her voice once again became seductive when she spoke again. "In fact, that's why you'll want to get plenty of rest tonight, because after two weeks of not seeing you, I'm not going to allow you to get any sleep tomorrow night."

On the other end of the phone, Tony grinned like an idiot. He loved Michelle so much, her cheeky sense of humour never failed to brighten his day. "Well when you put it like that, I'll be sure to hit the sack early tonight" Tony replied with a laugh. His tone turned more serious, but still laced with passion and love when he added "I love you Curly-Head." 

Michelle took a few seconds, closing her eyes, and letting those words linger for a while. It never failed to make her heart skip a beat. 

_They had been going out for five months now, and it was after the first month of dating that Tony had nervously said those words for the first time. He just hadn't been able to stop himself; it felt insane for a man, who was in his thirties to say those words after merely a month. He wasn't some naïve high schooler, caught up in the novelty of being involved with a girl, and thinking he'd found true real love, when in reality it was probably just their unstable hormones on overdrive that made them "feel" the way they did. No, he was a government agent, a grown man. Furthermore, a grown man who had been hurt immensely by the last woman he was involved with. Considering what happened with Nina, Tony was the last grown man who should be saying or thinking things so easily and quickly. Yet, he couldn't deny the feelings he had, if anything it was reflecting upon what he had with Nina, that made him realise that he really did in fact love Michelle. Being around Nina had in truth always made feel tetchy; not at all happy, as a relationship ought to. In contrast, being around Michelle made him relaxed soothed and happy._

_Tony remembered the time they had been discussing Paula. He had been upset about Mason's decision to bring her __around__ to get the source encryption key __from__ her. Michelle initially had been angry and confronted him. However, when she saw how distraught and upset he was, she had instantly changed her attitude. Michelle had reached out tentatively and placed her hand on his back, uttering a soft and soothing "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Tony". He had been comforted by that, the subtle yet powerful tenderness of her touch. The softness of her voice too, confident and at the same time emotive and feminine. The simple gesture and words had given him a lot of strength to focus on what needed to be done. The simple, lingering look they gave each other, when he straightened back up and gazed into her eyes for a few moments, felt overwhelming, the attraction between them obvious. _

_Where he felt agitation and irritation in Nina's presence, in Michelle's he felt encouragement and reassurance. She brightened his day just by being in the same room as him; she had a sharp sense of humour even in some of the darkest hours of working at CTU. _

_It was the strength Michelle gave him; both before they got together and after, that made Tony realise and subsequently never doubt that he loved her. _

Michelle smiled to herself, and replied "I love you too, sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"Okay, see you there" Tony replied softly, before adding "bye, baby." Michelle closed her eyes once again and savoured the softness of his voice for a few seconds more "Yeah, bye sweetie." With that she disconnected the line, and snapped her cell-phone shut. 

"It's nice to see a young woman, so in love" the elderly lady sat across from Michelle said.

"I'm sorry?" Michelle replied, not having been listening properly.

"I said it's nice to see a young woman so in love. These days so many people your age aren't interested in proper relationships. They just fool around. But with you, it really is love I can see it in your eyes."

"Thank you" Michelle replied blushing slightly. "What's your name?" she added.

"Jean" The elderly lady replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Jean. I'm Michelle." 

"How long have you and your young man been together, dear?" Jean inquired.

"We've been dating for five months now, but I knew I loved him after just one" Michelle replied. "A bit sudden I guess" she added blushing slightly.

"Not at all" Jean replied. "When you know, you know. It doesn't matter how long it takes."

"I guess that's true" Michelle smiled in return. "Besides, Tony and I knew each other pretty well from work for almost a year and half before we got together."

"My Colin and I had only been together for a month before he proposed to me" Jean replied with a smile. "We were together for almost sixty years before he passed on." She finished with a slight hint of sadness to her voice.

"I'm sorry for your loss" Michelle said emphatically.

"Oh it's all right dear" Jean replied. "It's been two years now. I miss him, but I know he's in a special place and I'll see him again one day."

Michelle and her new friend talked a while more; Jean told Michelle all about her family, her two daughters and her grandchildren, some of whom Jean had been visiting before heading home to San Francisco. Michelle talked about living in Los Angeles, her family and of course about Tony. Soon, however, Jean's flight was called and she bid Michelle good bye, wishing her every happiness in her future. 

Michelle headed over to look for something to eat and to browse the books and magazines before her flight was called. 

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Michelle was tired, but happy when she got outside of LAX and waved down a cab. She had been quite surprised to not find Tony waiting for her. She honestly thought that he would have turned up anyway. If she were to truly honest, there was a small part of her that had actually been hoping he'd be there, and she was little disappointed that he had done as asked for once. However, she was mostly pleased that he was getting the rest he needed. Besides which, she'd see him again tomorrow, and she didn't plan on letting him out of her site for the whole of their weekend off together. 

Michelle put her bags into the trunk of the cab with the help of the driver and climbed inside. "Where to Miss?" he said to her. Michelle gave him the address of her apartment block and he began to pull out. Suddenly Michelle had an idea. "No wait" she said to the driver "could we change that please?"

"Sure thing, miss, so long as you pay the fare" was the reply. Michelle told the driver where to take her and they were off. 

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Michelle set her bags down and kicked off her shoes at the front door before walking into the living room of the darkened apartment. Michelle switched on the lamp that stood by the side of the arm chair. She smiled to herself at seeing the _CSI _Season One box set on the arm of the couch. He loved _CSI;_ he was totally addicted to it. She liked it too, but no where near as obsessively as he did. The living room was a bit messy; she smirked to herself thinking that he had been too lazy to tidy it. That was so totally, Tony, and she loved that about him.

She had decided on a whim to come to his apartment, wanting to see him, and not wanting to wait until work tomorrow. He had given her a key to his place not long after they started sleeping together. She had also given him a key to her place. They felt that after that important milestone in their relationship, having free reign of each other's respective homes was a given. 

Michelle giggled to herself when she remembered the first time she had been waiting for him when he got home. 

_She had gotten back from work long before he did, as he was left behind to fill in some trivial paperwork and take a conference call with __Chappelle__ and Hammond. He had been talking to them most of the day for various reasons and was getting fed up. As strange as it sounded, days like that were in some ways worse than ones where there was a threat to be dealt with. At least when they were working against the clock to prevent an attack, such as the day of the nuke there was something dangerous to be stopped, a real and genuine reason to be kept behind late. But days like this one, where it was nothing more than bureaucratic nonsense keeping him from going home (especially from going home with Michelle) seemed so pointless in comparison. _

_Michelle knew how fed up Tony had been, so decided to surprise him. When he walked through the front door, she waited until he had locked it behind him, set down his briefcase and kicked off his shoes. Then she stepped out from the bedroom, and stood against the arch-way connecting the living room and corridor. _

_Tony stopped and stared, before him was his beautiful girlfriend giving him that smile that drove him insane and would always inhibit his ability to think clearly, she was in his apartment, her beautiful curly hair was down, her head was cocked to one side and resting against the door frame and her hands were on his hips. But most significantly of all she was naked. "Good evening, Mr Almeida" she said seductively, fluttering her dark almond shaped eyes at him. Tony instantly started stripping, leaving a trail of clothes as he moved across the room to meet her. He was torn between propping her against the wall and taking her right there, and carrying her to bed and being tender and sensual. The part of him that was worked up all day and in need of relief telling him to take the first option, the part of him that adored her and felt that their love making should be a way to worship her, rather than a way to meet his own needs telling him to take the second option. In the end he went for the second option. His utter devotion to pleasuring her and making her feel as loved and adored as she truly was, winning through, even though she had been the one doing the seducing._

Smiling and blushing slightly at the memory, Michelle brought herself back to the present and she carried on into the bedroom. Michelle entered quietly being sure not wake him. Not wanting to go rummaging through her suitcases, she fished out one of the nightgowns she kept at Tony's and changed into it. She then walked over to the bed, seeing that he was still sleeping. She crouched down at his bedside and every so lightly ran her fingers through his hair. Michelle continued this and watched him sleep for the better part of five minutes before placing a feather light kiss on his forehead, standing and making her way round to the other side of the bed. She pulled back the covers and climbed in. She got as close up to him as she could without waking him, and closed her eyes. 

It was an hour or so later and Tony felt his throat was slightly dry. He slowly woke up and realised there was a body pressed against his, a delightfully warm body to be precise. One with that sweet scent he had come to love so much, the scent that was unmistakeably Michelle's. He turned and saw her there sleeping. For a few seconds he just stared in happy surprise. Tony grinned to himself, thinking how adorable it was that she had slipped into his bed in the middle of the night. 

Getting out of bed quietly, he headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When he returned, Tony laid awake watching her, in awe of her beauty and feeling almost intoxicated with love for her. 

Tony reached over to the alarm clock and switched the alarm off. He decided that he would call in sick and explain that Michelle had gotten in very late and he was giving her the day off. Ryan and Brad were both away at a conference in New York for the next two weeks, so he knew he could get away with it. Naturally, if there was an emergency they would both go in, but it had been quiet lately, so there was no harm in taking a "snow day."

As he settled down again, Tony noticed that she didn't have as much of the bed covers wrapped round her as she preferred. He remedied this immediately and soon had them both cocooned. He then spooned her into him and nuzzled the crook of her neck, whispering sweet words and declarations of love into her ear even though he knew she was asleep. Then Tony closed his eyes, and fell asleep contentedly. Now more certain than ever that he had found the love of his life and his soul-mate, and that Michelle was the woman he wanted to always wake up to, for the rest of his life.

**Author's Notes: **_The stuff about Michelle having attended, taught classes and won trophies at an unarmed combat tournament was a way to work in a reference to just how much of a kick ass agent she is. Many people forget that she's gutsy and able to take care of herself, so whenever I can work that aspect of her character into my stories, I do so. _

_I hope that everyone enjoyed that story, I enjoy writing Tony and Michelle fluff and this was an idea I just couldn't resist using, there'll be more fluffy one shots to come so keep checking in. Finally, again, if you could submit a review and leave your thoughts on the story it would be much appreciated and will make me happy. : ) ;) _


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